London Mayor Sadiq Khan has alleged that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly targeted him based on his ethnicity and Muslim faith, a claim that revives their longstanding feud.
In a recent podcast interview, Khan, the son of Pakistani immigrants and the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital, described Trump’s remarks toward him as “incredibly personal.” Sadiq Khan stated, “If I wasn’t of this skin color, if I wasn’t a practicing Muslim, he wouldn’t have targeted me.” His comments reflect ongoing tensions dating back to 2017 when Khan criticized Trump’s contentious travel ban affecting multiple Muslim-majority countries. Trump responded by accusing Khan of failing in his duties regarding terrorism and referred to him with terms such as “stone cold loser” and “very dumb.”
As a consistent critic of Trump’s policies, Khan has opposed what he sees as Trump’s stance on sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and other social issues. Khan expressed that he feels it is his duty to speak against what he considers “sexist, homophobic, Islamophobic, and racist” policies.
These remarks come amid the UK’s preparations to manage its relationship with Trump as he enters a second term. While Khan’s stance remains firm, other Labour Party leaders have softened their tone. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who previously called Trump a “woman-hating, neo-Nazi sympathizing sociopath,” has now dismissed his past statements as “old news.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, meanwhile, has congratulated Trump on his election win and aims to build a constructive relationship between the UK and the US. Starmer’s outreach signals the UK’s intent to foster a productive alliance despite previous tensions.
